Matrix Dragon Wrote:Which leaves the question... Where IS the space shuttles replacement? Why is it that they spent so much on keeping the Shuttles going instead of getting their replacements designed, built and into the sky? James May once got to show off the next generation lunar rover, which is one of the most remarkable designs I've ever seen... and it will most likely never get to carry out its purpose.The idea behind the space shuttle was fundamentally flawed. It assumed that you could have a "one size fits all" reuseable orbital insertion vehicle. Orbital insertion of various things is best handled by specialized vehicles, for a variety of economic and practical engineering reasons. If we need to insert humans into orbit again, then we should do so with a machine designed solely for that purpose and if it turns out that a one-shot vehicle is cheaper (what with having to carry less weight) we do that.
Unfortunately, manned space exploration has run into a severe economic burden. Simply put the current dollar cost to weight in orbit ratio is too high to safely place humans up there (since we have to account for the humans weight, and the weight of all the lifesupport dedicated to that human). Until we find a way to significantly reduce the ratio of dollars/pounds and make getting into orbit much cheaper, we're going to have to live without a manned space program for awhile.
The shuttle program has been obsolete for about ten years now, and the only reason it kept going was because of bureaucratic inertia at NASA. Ironically enough, they may have been a victim of their own success. Shuttles were just useful enough that the government bureaucracy could justify choking off funds into research on a replacement because the shuttle was working, so why look for something better? This lack of funding crippled the research into alternative transport methods (which should have been well on its way fifteen years ago).
If you want to bemoan the lack of manned spaceflight stop clinging to outdated technology, no matter how nostalgic. Instead encourage your government to invest heavily into research to develop new vehicles better suited for what we have identified as the real needs of manned space flight would be.
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